This invention relates to ventilated covers, and in particular invention relates to the use of a molded insert which is placed in the material of a ventilated cover for purposes of ventilation thereof. The ventilated covers are intended for use particularly in outdoor situations, and are typically employed with such various household items as barbecues, air-conditioner heat exchangers and condensers, and patio furniture, as well as with other recreational items as boats and other watercraft, motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, spare tire covers for sports utility vehicles, and so on.
Throughout North America, and elsewhere, many persons store household items of various sorts outdoors. For example, in the northern parts of North America, household barbecues are quite often stored on the patio for the barbecue season. Indeed, many households keep a barbecue outdoors all year. In the southern parts of North America, just as in the north, barbecues and other household items are covered, but usually for different reasons.
Specifically, barbecues, air-conditioner heat exchangers and condensersxe2x80x94which cannot be removed indoors to other storage facilities in any eventxe2x80x94and other seasonal household and recreational items such as those referred to above, may require to be covered for a variety of reasons. Typically, and in any event, they are covered during the winter seasons to protect them from the elements and the environment. Rain, snow, blowing leaves, dust, sand and so on, must be protected against. So also must the incursion of insects and rodents be protected against. On the other hand, fully covering any household items such as those described above is tantamount to an invitation to disaster. Damaging condensation, rusting and mildew, as well as or recreational cobwebs and spiders nests, and the like, may ensue.
However, if the covered household or recreational items are ventilated at the same time, then there is much less risk of any damaging condensation, rusting, mildew, cobwebs and spiders nests, and like, developing. This is because air can flow in and out of the shelter which is provided by a ventilated cover in keeping with present invention, unlike prior art covers which are not ventilated and which may give rise to serious damage to the very household articles that they are intended to protect.
Even in the middle of winter, a sunny day may result in significant air expansion within the interior of a cover over a household or recreational item. If the cover is ventilated, in keeping with present invention, then that air can flow out of the cover, taking with it stale air and moisture. Then, in the evening, as the sun goes down, ambient air pressure equilibrium will cause airflow back into the interior of the cover, thereby replacing fresh air for the previous stale air that has been expelled. This is particularly likely to happen because, almost invariably, covers for barbecues, air-conditioner heat exchangers, and the like, are dark colored and therefore will absorb radiant heat from such as sunshine. Still further, by the presence of ventilation in a cover, the relative humidity inside and outside of the cover will remain effectively at equilibrium, and thereby the chance of rust developing may be reduced, if not precluded.
However, the elementsxe2x80x94and particularly rain, snow, and windxe2x80x94are always present, and therefore it is not appropriate to ventilate a cover merely by the addition of a screen or a series of apertures formed in the material of the cover.
Thus, the present invention provides for appropriate baffles to preclude direct incursion of rain or snow as they may be carried by the wind, or insects and the like, but so as to permit airflow into and out of the interior of a cover when it is placed over a household or recreational article as described above. The details of such construction are, of course, described hereafter.
Effectively, the inventors herein provided at least one breathable section which may be placed into a material coverxe2x80x94typically, a tarpaulin-like material, a rubberized material, or other suitable plasticized or rubberized fabrics that have sufficient flexibility to be folded when not in use, and sufficient sewability or other adhesive characteristics that a cover for any designated household or recreational item of any shape may be constructed, as is well known to those in the cover industry.
Because rain and snow typically fall more or less downwardly, certain improved embodiments of ventilated covers, and particularly the molded insert set are intended for use with them, provide for additional protection against downwardly falling precipitation.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a molded insert for attachment to the material of the cover intended for outdoor use to cover an article.
The molded insert has a front face, a back face, and a plurality of openings to its thickness. Each opening has a larger area in the front face then it has in the back face.
Each opening that is formed in the molded insert is such that the bottom-most extent of the smaller area of thereof in the back face of the molded insert is higher than the bottom-most extent of the larger area thereof in the front face of the molded insert, when the molded insert is placed in a vertical orientation.
There is a first region in the molded insert where there are no openings formed through the thickness thereof.
A molded insert in keeping with present invention may further comprised a peripheral margin around the periphery thereof, and an upstanding wall portion which extends forwardly of the peripheral margin at least in the top region thereof, when the molded insert is placed in a vertical orientation.
Still further, the upstanding wall portion may be formed entirely around the region occupied by the plurality of openings, but at the peripheral margin of the molded insert.
If so, then the upstanding wall portion may extend further forwardly of the peripheral margin at the top region and that a top portion of the side regions of the molded insert, then the remainder of the upstanding wall portion elsewhere.
In that case, the upstanding wall portion may have an upper surface in the top region thereof which slopes outwardly and downwardly from the peripheral margin of the molded insert, also in the top region thereof.
The plurality of openings which is formed in the molded insert our typically arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows and vertical columns, the horizontality and the verticality of the rows and columns being determined when the molded insert is placed in a vertical orientation.
Each of the openings which is formed in the molded insert is such that the openings have a lower surface in at least a portion of the bottom region thereof. Moreover, the lower surface is typically formed so as to slope forward and downwardly when the molded insert is placed in a vertical orientation.
Still further, each of the openings which is formed in the molded insert is formed so as to have an upwardly extending rear wall at the rear thereof wherein each of the openings opens to the back face of the molded insert.
The height of each rear wall in each of the openings is in the range of 40% to 60% of the maximum height of each respective opening at the front face thereof.
In most embodiments of the present invention, at least some of the plurality of openings will also have a downwardly extending centrally located wall parallel to the rear wall.
In those cases, the height of each of the downwardly extending centrally located walls is also typically in the range of 40% to 60% of the maximum height of the respective opening at the front face thereof.
Openings which do not have the centrally located wall may be formed in up to 50% of the total number of rows of openings of a molded insert in keeping with present invention, in the upper region thereof.
Typically, although not necessarily, the profile at the front face of each opening which is formed in a molded insert in keeping with present invention is circular. If so, then typically the profile of each opening at the back face of the molded insert is semi-circular.
The first region in the molded insert where there are no openings formed therein is typically adapted to receive a plaque which is secured thereto. That plaque is, typically, such as to carry the name of the manufacturer of the barbecue, air-conditioner heat exchanger, or other household item being covered.
Likewise, the first region may be adapted to have a logo molded therein.
The molded insert in keeping with present invention are flexible, and a typically molded from a material which is chosen from the group consisting of: flexible PVC, vinyl, glass fiber, rubber, and mixtures thereof.
Of course, is further object of the present invention to provide a cover for outdoor use to cover an article, where the cover comprises flexible waterproof material cut and sewn in a pattern so as to cover an intended article to be covered, and at least one molded insert which is in keeping with the foregoing descriptions thereof. The molded insert is, of course, placed in a region of the material so as to be oriented substantially vertically when the cover is in place over the intended article.
Typically, a cover which is in keeping with present invention will be such that the molded insert is secured to the flexible waterproof material of the cover at the peripheral margin of the molded insert.
Still further, they may typically be two molded inserts secured to the flexible waterproof material of the cover in regions which are opposed to one another when the cover is placed over an intended article.